Above Lviv's old town rises a wooded hill that locals simply call the High Castle, Vysokyi Zamok, and below it, tucked against its slopes, lies Pidzamche, whose name means under the castle. For a rider used to the cobbled squares at the centre, this is the quiet back door of the city: older, scruffier and more honest. The castle itself is long gone, a victim of the sieges and demolitions of earlier centuries, and what remains are earthworks and a few fragments of wall. What you climb for is the view. From the top, some four hundred metres above sea level, the red roofs and church spires of Lviv spread out in a patchwork, and on a clear evening the light turns the whole city gold.
Lviv was founded in the thirteenth century by King Danylo of Galicia and named after his son Lev, and the hill is where the first fortress stood. Later, the city passed through Polish, Austrian and Soviet hands, each leaving its architecture in the streets. At the summit stands the Union Mound, a grassy hill raised in 1869 to mark three hundred years of the union of Poland and Lithuania, and now a favourite spot for picnics and photographs. Pidzamche itself holds some of the oldest corners of the city, with the churches and the remains of what was once a thriving Jewish quarter, now mostly gone but remembered in a few ruins and plaques.
Riding here means cobbles, tram lines and tight turns. The streets are narrow, the surface is uneven, and wet stone is slippery, so take it slowly. The city is quieter early in the morning, when bakeries open and the cafes begin to hum. Lviv takes coffee seriously, and a stop at one of the old cellar cafes is part of the experience; chocolate, strudel and strong espresso are the local pleasure.
Fuel is plentiful in and around the city, and there are stations on the ring roads. Be aware that the situation in Ukraine can change quickly, with air raid alerts and travel restrictions, so check official advice and local conditions before you plan anything. The city has a long history of resilience, and its people are warm and direct.